As They Watched
by lorekr
Summary: As they watched...enemies became friends, became lovers. Differing perspectives on Zuko and Katara's relationship. Zutara. I, quite obviously, do not own A:TLA. First four chapters up, more perspectives to come soon.
1. Chapter 1: Merchant

**As They Watched…**

**Chapter 1: The Merchant**

"No, we don't need any more Elephant Seal Jerky. You and Sokka will just have to do without it for the next week."

"I told Sokka I'd get him some, so I will."

"You think you can just drop that kind of money for something you and Sokka finish in minutes?"

"_You _eat the jerky also, _and _seem to enjoy it." The scarred man smirked as he poked the tanned beauty in her stomach.

The merchant watched the pair playfully bicker back and forth over the need of Elephant Seal Jerky.

_What a handsome couple _he mused to himself.

"Well Miss, how about I make a deal for you and your boyfriend?"

"Excuse me?" Katara stammered, blushing.

"What did you have in mind?" Zuko confidently inquired.

"For every three Papayas you buy I'll give you half off a quarter bag of jerky."

Zuko stood considering the deal; he smirked as he saw Katara's pouting lower lip.

"Make it Mangos and you got yourself a deal." Katara suppressed a full on grin at the fact that Zuko remembered her full on contempt of Papayas.

"Deal" The merchant continued watching as they picked through the Mangos. Laughing, hands touching, cheeks flushing. He watched the young man's golden eyes protectively watch the tan woman as she inspected Mangos for buying.

He watched said woman brush raven hair out of the young man's eyes, momentarily caressing the scar that covered his face. He watched how he melted into her hand, closing his eyes and seemingly finding relief in her touch.

He watched as the young man carefully packed everything into his knapsack so that his companion needn't carry anything. Again he watched them playfully bicker over who was carrying the supplies and continued observing as they silently came to and agreement with their eyes.

After they'd paid and thanked him, the merchant watched as the two headed back, hands intertwined, smiles radiating happiness even as they moved further from his stand, the merchant watched as love blossomed amidst war.


	2. Chapter 2: Suki

**As They Watched…**

**Chapter 2: Suki**

"Why do you look so angry?" The young man asked quite amused with the frustrated look that marred the beautiful waterbender's features.

"Why did you have to go and almost get yourself killed?"

"…"

"You know the fate of your nation is depending on you and the fate of the world is affected by you and still you go and jump in front of some crazed maniac! You can't afford to be taking that kind of risk!" Tears threatened to spill over as she half barked, half choked out her response to his silence. Minutes passed and she continued working in a huff, the water in the basins swishing back and forth in response to her growing frustration.

The formerly banished Fire Prince gave the upset Waterbending Master a sideways smirk. Minutes passed and yet his eyes never left hers. Her eyes softened as his eyes penetrated her to her core, infinitely lightening the mood.

"Sorry…I just don't understand you Zuko." She sighed. Her hands remained cloaked in the glowing cerulean that was currently working on the wound that marked his chest hours before.

Fiery golden eyes met icy cobalt ones.

The Kyoshi Warrior had only come to bring dinner to the two she now observed. The damage to Zuko had been severe, and although the soon to be Fire Lord was ready to get to work on the restoration of his nation, Katara insisted that extensive and thorough healing was necessary.

She continued watching. She watched as his pale, strong hand cusped her delicate chin; as a calloused thumb brushed gently under her eye then down to waterbender's lips. She watched as tan hands stopped healing only to caress a pale and scarred face; as blue eyes searched gold ones for an answer that needn't be spoken.

The Kyoshi Warrior set the food on the floor. Their intimate touches warranted privacy. She knew all too well the consequences that would befall this romance. Taking one last glance, she watched as two former enemies bonded by war, hate, and death grew to love each other though hope, forgiveness and acceptance.


	3. Chapter 3: Hakoda

**As They Watched…**

**Chapter 3: Hakoda**

His arms remained crossed as he stood on the edge of the ice bank watching two figures in the snow. One was clutching her sides and shaking with laughter as the other struggled to mount the penguin he'd caught just seconds earlier. After a few attempts at unsuccessfully mounting his penguin, the latter was finally mounted and sledding down the steep, snow covered hill. He couldn't help but laugh as the girl took off after him, soon catching and leaping from her penguin's back to tackle her friend. They rolled quite a few feet in the snowy powder before coming to a halt near the bottom. He continued watching as she laid her head on his stomach, and as the young man trailed his fingers through her chocolate curls.

He sighed. Since before her mother had died, he'd not seen his little girl so wonderfully carefree, so…blissful. The young man with her had no doubt had a hard life; that much was apparent by the scar that marked his face, but especially by the way he carried and composed himself. He was a young man at twenty years old yet his eyes held pain, suffering, and knowledge far beyond his years.

His cobalt eyes turned upon the girl currently enamored with the young man. The girl, or rather woman, was no longer a weak, small thing needing protection. The wisdom she'd gained through sacrifice was hard to bear especially since he could not have prevented it. After the war, she'd continued viewing life with the hope and optimism of her youth but also with truth and understanding of a woman. And while it made him proud, it also broke his heart.

As he watched the woman below tackling the young man, he was reminded that they were, at this very moment, not a Southern Water Tribe Ambassador and the Fire Lord, but a young man and woman discovering and exploring the boundaries of love.

As he watched, they were not two war heroes that know suffering, regret, death. They were simply his forever-little girl and the man that won her heart. As he watched, they were simply in love, unaffected by reality.


	4. Chapter 4: Toph

**As They Watched…**

**Chapter 4: Toph**

She hated being at the Southern Water Tribe. The fact that it was completely made of ice and practically rendered her helpless was enough to get her blood boiling on a good day but the fact that a she was now lost due to a simple detour after a midnight snack, made her downright cranky.

"No…stop. We can't be doing this." The blind earthbender stopped dead in her tracks.

_Sugar Queen?_ There was no mistaking her voice, she was crying.

"Ssshh….it's going to be alright, we'll figure this out" a soothing voice tried to comfort her.

Her heart broke for them. Over the past four years she'd felt evidence of their love for one another- sneaking footsteps, quickened pulses, whispered things that were meant for the other but never heard…until now.

"Zuko" her voice cracked.

"Ssshh, ssshh, not tonight, Agni not tonight" he pleaded. "Tonight… just be mine."

Toph was frozen, she knew she should be leaving, or at least trying to give them the privacy they deserved. After all, while everyone had sacrificed something- money, time away from home, resources- these two had to sacrifice love and perhaps a lifetime together. The four nations were still ill at ease and all that was needed to break the delicate peace was an uproar caused by the romance of the "Fire Lord and a _peasant_", as some Fire Nation citizens would have undoubtedly proclaimed. Or by the "Southern Water Tribe Ambassador and the _barbarian_", as many people across the remaining three nations might have as fervently proclaimed. Either way, Toph knew the fate of these two was not meant to be entwined as husband and wife. Although they were owed deserved privacy, much to her horror, she found herself rooted to the ice unable to move. So she listened.

_Soft moans, tender sighs, labored breaths, quiet gasps. Whispered promises that would have to be broken for the sake of the fragile world. _

Silent tears streamed down her face. The smell of sweat hit her nose. She hugged her knees tightly and prayed that destiny would be kind to them. And she listened.

She listened to the sounds of two lovers suffering their love for perhaps the last time. She listened to two souls sharing the painful knowledge that their love was on borrowed time. She listened to the quiet sobs of a woman trying to find the strength to move on, and to the miserable pleas of a man refusing to do so. She listened as two people undoubtedly deserving of each other, spent their night in anguish, mourning the love that should have been.


End file.
